Means for making mattress border panels with welted edges



Dec. 8, 1964 J. A. CASH, JR 3,160,124

MEANS FOR MAKING MATTRESS BORDER PANELS WITH WELTED EDGEIS Filed June 30, 1961 '7 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

JAMES A. CASH JR. 3/6. y a

ATTORNEY Dec. 8, 1964 J. A. CASH, JR 3,160,124

MEANS FOR MAKING MATTRESS BORDER PANELS WITH WELTED EDGES Filed June 30. 1961 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 E m n m INVENTOR.

JAMES, A. CASH,JR.

MAW

ATTORN EY /a.4 ,BY

7 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

JAMES A. CASH,JR.

ATTORNEY Dec. 8, 1964 J. A. CASH, JR

MEANS FOR MAKING MATTRESS BORDER PANELS WITH WELTED EDGES Filed June 50. 1961 H l l I I l l L4 1...:

'l'lllllulllnw J. A. CASH, JR

Dec. 8, 1964 MEANS FOR MAKING MATTRESS BORDER PANELS WITH WELTED EDGES 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 30, 1961 INVENTOR.

JAMES A. CASH,JR. BY

ATTORNEY Dec. 8, 1964 J. A. CASH, JR 3,150,124

MEANS FOR MAKING MATTRESS BORDER PANELS WITH WELTED EDGES Filed June 30, 1961. 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN V EN TOR.

JAMES A. CASH,JR.

ATTORNEY Dec. 8, 1964 J. A. CASH, JR 3,160,124

MEANS FOR MAKING MATTRESS BORDER PANELS WITH WELTED EDGES Filed June 30, 1961 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR.

JAMES A. CASH, JR.

BY g

ATTORNEY Dec. 8, 1964 J. A. CASH, JR 3,160,124

MEANS FOR MAKING MATTRESS BORDER PANELS WITH WELTED EDGES 4 Filed June 30, 1961 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 72 3/6 [6 L70 INVENTOR.

JAMES A. CASH,JR.

BY M

ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofifice 3,150,124 Patented ec. 8, 1964 3,166,124 MEANS MAKENG MATTRESS BQRDER PANELS W 1TH WELTED EDGES James A. Qash, Era, La Grange, Ky, assignor to American Bedding Machine Co., Louisville, Ky, a corporation of Kentucky Eiied done 36, 1%1, Ser. l o. l2,46 Claims. (Cl. 1l22) This invention relates to the art of covering a mattress.

In covering mattresses, the conventional practice comprises: (1) manufacturing an elongate supply strip of border panel material and then cutting it into border panels of a length required by the periphery of a given size mattress; (2) sewing a bottom edge of that border panel to the peripheral edge of a bottom face panel to form a shallow pan-like cloth cover; (3) covering the bottom face and peripheral border portions of the mattress with the shallow pan-like cover; and then (4) closing the mattress by sewing a top face panel to the border panel along the top edge of the mattress.

A typical border panel is composed of an outer decorative layer of cloth or ticking and an inner backing layer of felt or wadding, sometimes with a layer of scrim to support the wadding. This panel is conventionally manufactured in a border panel machine which operates to sew a succession of longitudinally spaced parallel stitch lines extending transversely across the width of the panel, generally at right angles to the running or longitudinal edges thereof. Some machines make independent lines of stitching, severing the thread at the end of each stitch line, while other machines make a continuous squarecut zigzag line of stitching wherein successive transverse stitch lines are joined along alternate margins of the panel by longitudinal lines of stitching which serve to hold the hem of the border panel.

When the adjacent edges of a face panel and a border panel are being sewn together, as they are first in the panlike forming operation and then in the mattress closing operation, it is customary to welt the sewn edge by progressively applying a heading cord or strip thereto and progressively folding the cloth on itself and over that cord as the sewing operation proceeds. If a cord is used, it must be small and highly flexible since it is not practical, in the mattress closing operation, to welt the sewn edge with the larger and stiffer sizes of beading cord. When a strip is used, it is composed of a relatively soft material such as cotton cloth and it has the disadvantage of pulling down or flattening at the corners of the mattress in a maner deleteriously affecting the appearance of the mattress.

The principal object of the present invention is to make it practical and highly advantageous to welt the edges of a mattress with the larger and stiffer sizes of beading cord. 7

Other important objects of the invention are: to provide a method of and means for providing a mattress cover with welted edges of desired size; to promote the securement of more uniform border panel widths; to speed up the pan-forming and mattress closing operations; to improve the final appearance of the mattress; and to accomplish these objectives inexpensively.

These objectives can be largely attained by welting .both edges of the border panel before it is sewn to any face panel and thereafter performing the pan-forming and closing operations. When this procedure is followed, it is not only possible but highly practical to use any desired size of beading cord since the welting operation is a relatively simple one. The welting of the edges of the border panel makes it easy to secure precise uniformity in the width of the panel and thereafter maintain such uniformity in Width to the end of the cover closing operation. This likewise substantially enhances the final appearance of the mattress. Furthermore, it speeds up the mattress closing operation since it enables the operator conducting that operation more readily to obtain and maintain a firm grip on the border panel.

One conventional border panel manufacturing machine comprises: 1) a base over which the work moves longitudinally forward in a direction proceeding from the rear end toward the front end of the base; (2) work supply means at the rear end of the base; (3) work feed means at the front end of the base for pulling the work from the rear supply means forwardly over the base in a manner causing the layers forming the work to be assembled one upon the other at the rear end of the base and to pass through a sewing zone between the rear and front ends thereof; (4) work tensioning means adjacent the rear end of the base yieldably resisting the pull of the work feed means on the ticking so as to tension the ticking; (5) a sewing machine mounted on the base for transverse movement back and forth in the sewing zone along a sewing path extending transversely across the work from one margin to the other, said sewing machine in cluding a needle above the work for vertical reciprocation through the work and a cooperating thread locking means below the work; (6) work clamping means arranged over the work on the rear side of said sewing path for vertical movement downwardly to clamp the work against the base and upwardly to release the work; (7) means for receiving the Work product from the feed means and Winding it into a roll; and (8) drive means for (a) continuously reciprocating the needle and operating the thread locking means in timed relationship therewith for work stitching purposes, (b) intermittently actuating the feeding means to pull the Work longitudinally forward at spaced feeding intervals, (c) intermittently moving the sewing machine back and forth in the sewing zone along said work crossing path between feeding intervals with a dwell period at each end of said sewing path corresponding to the next Work feeding interval so that said machine operates to make one right-to left transverse line of stitching during one non-feed interval, a longitudinal line of stitching along the left margin during the following feed interval, a left-to-right transverse line of stitching during the next non-feed interval and a longitudinal line of stitching along the right margin during the next feed interval and to repeat this pattern during subsequent intervals and thereby sew a continuous square-cut zigza line of stitching, (d) operating said clamping means to clamp the work during each cross sewing interval and release the work during each forward feeding interval, and (e) operating the winding means as the work product is discharged by the feed means.

I have also found that such a border panel making machine can be easily and simply modified to perform the Welting operation contemporaneously with the operations involved in making the border panel; hence, another important object of the present invention is to provide a simple and effective machine for inexpensively manufacturing elongate supply strips of welted border panel material.

This latter object is accomplished by modifying a conventional border panel manufacturing machine so that it additionally operates: (a) to guide a pair of beading cords of desired size along and underneath opposite margins of the outer decorative layer of cloth or ticking as that layer moves through the machine; (b) to fold these margins more or less completely but loosely around the cords as they pass progressively through a folding zone; (0) to tighten these loose folds snugly about the cords by continuing the folding movement in the same direction so as to take up the slack and simultaneously direct that slack inwardly along the underside of the ticking to form an underlying sewing flange before the material enters the transverse sewing zone; and (d) to pull the welted edges of the work product forwardly simultaneously and uniformly with its forward pull on the central portion of that product.

A border panel manufacturing machine, embodying the invention, is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic elevational view of the border panel machine and illustrating the assembly and travel of the work or web assembly through the machine;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the border panel machine;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged top plan View of the machine with portions being cut-away;

FIG. 4 is a vertical section taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 3, with the lower portion of the machine being ut-away;

FIG. 5 is a further enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the machine looking down at the work or web assembly as it travels through the machine;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 3, with the web assembly omitted;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged section taken on line 7-7 of PEG. 4;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged vertical section taken on line 8--8 of FIG. 6, and showing the web assembly;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged vertical section taken on line 99 of FIG. 6, and showing the web assembly;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged vertical section taken on line 1l10 of FIG. 6, and showing the web assembly;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged vertical section taken on line 111ll of FIG. 6, and showing the web assembly;

FIG. 12 is an enlarged vertical section taken on line 1212 of FIG. 6, with portions of the web assembly being cut-away;

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary perspective and exploded view of the elements which guide the web assembly through the machine;

FIG. 14 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on line 1414 of FIG. 11 and with the web assembly being omitted;

FIG. 15 is a section taken on line 15-45 of FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is a bottom plan view of the elements which clamp the web assembly in a stationary position while the machine is sewing transversely across the web assembly;

FIG. 17 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the means used for controlling and varying the tension that the web feed means of the machine exerts on the web assembly;

FIG. 18 is a fragmentary perspective view of the gear train which drives the web feed means;

FIGS. 19A, 19B and 19C show, respectively, a transverse vertical section, a top plan view and a longitudinal vertical section of the web assembly during the time that the machine is sewing transversely across the web assembly, from right-to-left;

FIGS. 20A and 208 show, respectively, a top plan view and a longitudinal vertical section of the web assembly during the time that the machine is sewing a longitudinal scam in it; and

FIG. 21 is a top plan view illustrating the movement of the sewing needle transversely across the web assembly from left-to-right, in a reverse direction to the needle movement in FIG. 19.

CONVENTIONAL STRUCTURE The structure illustrated in the drawings conventionally includes: (1) a base; (2) work supply'means; (3) work feed means; (4) work tensioning means; (5) a sewing machine; (6) work clamping means; (7) work product receiving means; and (8) drive means.

Base

The base 10 may be of any suitable form such as the rectangular box-like structure shown.

4! Work Supply Means The work supply means is mounted on a table 13 which is spaced rearwardly from the rear end of the frame It). This supply means comprises: a roll 14 of wadding mounted on the front legs of the table; and a roll of decorative ticking 15 which is mounted on the rear legs of the table. 7

Work Feed Means The work feed means comprises: a lower roll 17 extending across the entire width of the work product at the front end of the machine; an upper roll 18 extending transversely across the top of the work product with its peripheral engagement limited to the central or web portion thereof, the periphery of this roll being extendible axially for width adjustment purposes by removable sections 19; and means mounting the upper roll 18 for movement between a lower operative position and an upper inoperative position, this means comprising a pair of arms 2i) pivotally mounted at their lower ends upon base 10 at opposite sides thereof and carrying at their upper ends suitable hearings in which the ends of the upper roll 18 are journalled, and springs (not shown) working against the lower ends of the arms 29 in a direction urging the feed roll 18 yieldably against the work.

In its lower or operative position, the upper roll 13 rides on the lower roll 17 and cooperates therewith to engage the work product which passes therebetween. Both of these rolls preferably are ribbed to insure a good grip upon the product. In its'upper or inoperative position, the upper roll 18 is spaced upwardly from the lower roll 17 to facilitate the loading of the machine with material from a new set of supply rolls 14 and Y15.

The work feed means obviously pulls the work forwardly through the machine. Tn insure good sewing results, this work must be maintained under tension.

Work Tensioning Means The work tensioning means is interposed between base it) and the table 13 and arranged to tension the ticking,- and the scrim if used, but not the wadding. The work tensioning means comprises: (1) a vertically-arranged horizontally-spaced longitudinally-extending pair of side panels 22 of T-shape with the stem of the T being forwardly offset along the bar of the T; (2) means for interconnecting the side panels 22 to form a rigid assembly, said means including (a) horizontally-extending vertically-spaced rods 23 interconnecting the stems of the side panels 22, (b) a pair of horizontally and vertically spaced front and rear rods 24 interconnecting the rear end portion of the bars of the T-shaped side panels 22, and (0) six rods 25, arranged in three pairs including front, intermediate and rear pairs, each pair extending horizontally between the rear end portions of the side panel bars and mounted thereon for angular movement as a unit moving about its own axis; and (3)means mounting this assembly of interconnected side T panels upon the rear end of the base, the mounting means including lugs 26 extending rearwardly from the upper rear end portion of the base and short bolts 27, one bolt 27 for each lug 26, each bolt 27 passing through the rear end of one lug 26 and through the adjacent T-shaped side panel 22 at a point near the intersection of its stem and bar. All of the rods 23-25 are made long enough to accommodate the usual range of ticking widths.

The wadding is seldom if ever tensioned. The scrim, when used, may or may not be tensioned but, where tensioning is desired, it is trained to extend around two or more of the stem interconnecting bars 23. The ticking material from roll 15 is heavily tensioned if it is composed of extremely light material and lightly tensioned if it is composed of heavy material; hence, it is always trained first around the forwardly spaced bar 24 and last around the rearwardly spaced bar 24 and, when greater tension is desired around one or more of the pairs of bars 25. It will be appreciated that the bars 23 on the one hand and 24-25 on the other provide a sufiicient drag upon or frictional resistance to the pull of the work feeding means to place the scrim on the one hand and the ticking on the other under suitable degrees of tension.

Sewing Machine The sewing machine is mounted on the base 10 between its front and rear ends for transverse movement back and forth in a sewing zone along a sewing path extending across the work. The length of the reciprocating stroke of the machine is adjustable. The sewing machine includes a needle 31 supported above the work for vertical reciprocation through the work and a cooperating thread locking means 32 supported below the work. The frame it) has a transverse slot 33 which underlies the work at the sewing zone, the needle 31 being located above, and the thread locking means 32 below, this slot 33.

Work Clamping Means The work is conventionally clamped along the rear side of the transverse sewing zone by tilting the front end 35 of the work tensioning assembly about the axis of the bolts 27 by which that assembly is pivotally mounted on base frame lugs 26. Since the construction of this assembly at the front end is modified in accordance with the present invention, its further description is deferred until the description of all conventional structure is substantially completed.

Work Receiving Means The work receiving means comprises a power driven reel 37 rotationally mounted on the outer end of an arm 33 which projects forwardly from the front vertical face of the base it The work product is wound upon the reel 37 as it is delivered by the work feed means.

Drive Means The drive means functions: (a) to drive the needle 31 and the thread locking means 32 continuously; (b) to drive the work feed rollers 17 and 18 and the work receiving reel 37 at intermittent work-feeding intervals which are spaced by non-feeding intervals; and (c) to actuate the work clamping means in the work clamping direction and move the sewing machine 34 one transverse stroke during each non-feeding interval. The drive means includes a motor driven main drive shaft, which is not shown, and all of the individual drives are driven from the main drive shaft.

The main drive shaft is connected to the stitching mechanism of the sewing machine to drive the needle and thread locking means continuously, this drive having a slidable connection to accommodate the reciprocating movement of the sewing machine as a unit.

The main drive shaft is also connected through a variable speed mechanism to the input shaft of a transmission box of the worm-against-worm type having first and second output shafts. The first output shaft, which feeds the work and rotates the work-receiving reel, is connected as follows: (a) through a cam and a clutch to the lower feed roll 17 of the work feeding means, the cam controlling the work feeding and non-feeding intervals; and (b) through a V belt, bevel gears and another V belt to the reel 37 of the work receiving means, the slippage of the v belts controlling the rotation of the work receiving reel 37.

The other output shaft, which reciprocates the sewing machine and tilts the clamper, is connected through a cam to the sewing machine St} for reciprocating that machine one stroke during each non-feeding interval while the same output-shaft-actuated cam (or a different cam) may be used to tilt the work tensioning assembly in the direction required to effect the clamping operation during each non-feeding interval.

The major portion of the foregoing drive mechanism is not shown because it is conventional but attention is called to FIGS. 7 and 18 which shows the drive for the feed means which includes: a main drive gear 40 which is conventionally driven by the conventional drive motor; means for driving the lower feed roller 17 in one direction comprising lower roller 41 meshing with gear 40; and means for driving the upper feed roller 18 in the opposite direction comprising an idler 42 interconnecting gear 40 with upper feed roller gear 43.

Operation The machine is first loaded by mounting a roll of scrim if used, a roll of wadding 14 and one of ticking 15 on the table 13, directing the scrim around the rods 23 and thence over the top of the base lltl through the sewing zone (with the needle in its uppermost position) and between the feed rollers with the upper feed roll 17 in its upper position, similarly directing the wadding 14 except that it bypasses the tensioning rods, and training the ticking 15 first around the front work tensioning rods 24, next around one or more of the pairs of tensioning rods 25 if desired, and finally around the rear work tensioning rod 24, thence over the base 1% through the sewing zone and between the work feed rolls l7 and 18. Now the rolls are lowered and the drive motor started. Thereafter the machine will operate automatically in conventional fashion. Of course, the work product should be directed to and wound upon reel 37.

During a non-feed interval, the machine operates to clamp the work against the base along the rear side of the sewing zone and to move the continuously stitching sewing machine 30 one stroke so as to sew one stitch line across the work. This completes the non-feeding interval; hence, the work is unclamped and a feeding interval instituted. During the feeding interval, the feed rolls 17 and 18 rotate to pull the work forwardly against the drag of the work tensioning means while the sewing machine will sew one longitudinal stitch line along one margin of the moving work and continue to do so as long as the work moves forwardly.

At the end of this feeding interval, the work feed rolls 17-18 stop, the work is once again clamped and the continuously operating sewing machine 30 now moved through its return stroke during which it again sews one transverse line of stitching. When the sewing machine reaches the end of that return stroke, the non-feed interval terminates and the next feed interval begins during which the parts operate as before to sew the wadding and ticking together along another longitudinal seam. This type of operation continues automatically until the supplies of wadding l4 and ticking 15 are exhausted.

THE INVENTION The present invention resides broadly in providing a mattress border panel with welted edges before it is secured to the face panels of the mattress cover that it thereafter presents bottom and top welted edges for securement to the peripheral edges of the bottom and top face panels of the mattress. This may be done by hand. It may also be done by machine.

Preferably it is done by modifying the conventional border panel manufacturing machine so that it additionally includes: (a) means providing a pair of supply rolls containing beading cords of desired size, said cords extending forwardly along and underneath opposite margins of the outer decorative layer of ticking 15 as that layer is being fed into the machine; ([2) -means to fold these margins completely but loosely around the cords as they pass through a folding Zone; (0) means to tighten such loose folds snugly about the cords as they pass from the folding zone through a tightening zone to the sewing zone; (d) means to clamp the Work on both sides of the sewing zone during the transverse stitching operation and then use the longitudinal stitching operation to stitch the tight folds securely in place; (e) guide means for the work leaving the sewing zone; (f) means to pull the i welted edges of the work product forwardly simultaneously and uniformly with its forward pull on the central portion of the work product; and (g) foot pedal actuated means to raise the upper portion of the work feed means.

Beading Cord Supply Means The supply means includes a pair of beading cord supply rolls 55D suitably mounted on the table 13 above the top thereof. Each cord 50 is directed through a tubular guide 51 which is mounted on the rear end of the work tensioning assembly preferably on the rearmost rod 24. The cords 50 extend from the guides 51 forwardly and pass successively through the folding, tighening, sewing and feeding zones. In the folding zone, the margin of the ticking 13 are loosely folded around the cords i Ticking Folding Means The ticking folding means includes: a pair of transversely opposed folders, one for each beaded cord 5%; and means mounting the folders on the work tensioning assembly for transverse adjustment toward and away from each other.

Each folder comprises: a rectangularly-shaped horizontally-arranged bottom plate 53 having a planar web section also designated 53 and an outer longitudinallyextending marginal edge section 54 and being arranged with its planar section 53 extending from the marginal section 54 transversely inward under at least one-half of the path of the ticking and with its outer marginal edge 54 turned downwardly and curled inwardly or reentrantly ap proximately 360 degrees to form a longitudinally-extending cord-receiving tube 54 which is open at its front and rear ends; and a rectangular-shaped horizonaily-arranged top plate 55 having a planar web section, also designated 56 and an outer longitudnally-extending marginal edge section 57 and being arranged with its planar section overlying the bottom plate 53 and a corresponding rectangular section of the path of the ticking and with its outer marginal edge 57 turned downwardly and curled inwardly or reentrantly approximately 270 degrees so as to extend around (but in outwardly spaced relationship to) the cord receiving tube 54 and thereby form a longitudinally open-ended marginal space of scroll shape in cross-section which is tangentially open along its inner side at its top to receive the corresponding longitudinal margin of the ticking and fold that margin around the cord receiving tube 54.

The means for mounting each folder upon the work tensioning assembly includes: a cross bar 59 extending between and mounted on the side panels 22 at an elevation above the top plate 56; a rectangularly-shaped vertically-arranged bracket plate 58 depending from said cross bar 59 and having its lower end curled inwardly and reentrantly to cradle the curled edge 57 of the top plate 56 for support purposes; and means welding the free end of the bracket 58 to the curl 57 of the top plate 56 and to the bottom face of the bottom plate 53.

The folders on each side of the ticking are mounted on the crossbar 59 for transverse adjusting movement toward and away from each other to an extent sufficient to accommodate a wide range of ticking widths. The top and bottom plates of the folder on one side telescopically i.e. slidably overlap those of the folder on the other side to an extent sufficient to accommodate the desired range of transverse width adjustment.

Tightening Means The tightening means includes: a bridge plate extending transversely over and upwardly-spaced from the path of the ticking through the tightening zone; and a pair of transversely-opposed fold tighteners arranged in the space between the bridge plate and the underlying ticking space; and means mounting the tighteners on opposite end portions of the bridge plate for transverse adjustment toward and away from each other to an extent suificient to accommodate a wide range of ticking widths.

The bridge plate 62. is rectangularly-shaped and horizontally-arranged to extend transversely from one side panel 22 to the other. It is rigidly secured to both side panels and is thus rigidly mounted on the work tensioning means. The space between the ticking path and the bridge plate is sufficient to accommodate the tighteners.

Each tightener includes: a rectangularly-shaped horizontally-arranged finger block 63 having a planar web section also designated 63 and an outer longitudinally extending marginal edge section 64. Each planar Web section 63 extends from its marginal section 64 transversely inward over at least one-half of the path of the ticking and thus forms a ceiling over the top side of the central or web portion of the ticking. It is transversely slotted vertically through its thickness to form several (preferably 3) fingers pointing transversely inward. The outer longitudinal marginal section 64 is made vertically thicker than planar section 63 so that it projects downwardly below the level of the lower surface of the planar section 63.

This thick marginal section 64- is provided with a longitudinally-extendingr open-ended tubular bore 65 which also is tangentially open at its top along its inner side. The bore 65 of the tightener receives both the cord 5% and the surrounding loose fold of the ticking 15 as they come forwardly from the folder. The bore 65 is dimensioned to provide a snug fit for the assembly comprising the cord and its enclosing fold or wrapper of ticking; hence, it compels the fold of the ticking to move rotationally around the cord in an edgewise fashion such as to take up the slack in the loose fold. This causes the margin of the ticking 15 to tighten snugly around the cord and the free marginal portion thereof to project transversely inward from the bore 65 and-thereby provide a free marginal strip or sewing flange 15a underlying the planar web section of the ticking 15 adjacent its now welted but as yet unsewn edge.

The tighteners are arranged in transversely opposed relationship with the fingers of each tightener offset from the fingers of the other so as to extend telescopically into the finger spaces of the other tightener. In the embodiment shown, the right finger block 63, i.e., the one on the right side when looking forward, has its planar section 63 formed as an integral part of the bridge plate 62 and its thicker marginal edge portion 64 formed as a separate part which is rigidly secured to the bridge plate 62. The left finger block 63 is mounted on the bridge plate 62 by suitable screws and this plate is transversely slotted to receive these screws and thus provide for the transverse adjustment of the left tightener relative to the right tighteners.

Work Clamping Means As noted before, the work is conventionally clamped along the rear side of the transverse sewing zone by tilting the front end 35 of the work tensioning assembly about the axis of the bolts 27 by which that assembly is pivotally mounted on the base frame lugs 26. In the present case, the front end 35 of the work tensioning assembly is provided by the foremost fingers on the finger blocks 63; of each tightener. One of these fingers is further forward than the other, which is to say that it is forwardly offset in relation to the other. This forwardly offset finger is arranged to extend closely adjacent the rear side of the sewing zone and its front to rear dimension is made small so that the front finger of the other tightenrearwardly, moves the stem rearwardly to tilt the Work tensioning assembly about its axis 27. The front end 35 need not move more than A; of an inch between its lower clamping and upper non-clamping position.

In accordance with my invention, the clamping means also includes means for clamping the work against the base along the front side of the sewing zone. This front side clamping means includes: a transverse clamping strip 7t extending along the front side of the sewing zone; and means mounting that members for vertical movement between clamping and non-clamping positions.

The transverse clamping strip 70 is made to a given length for a given width of ticking between welted edges. For wider and narrower widths, longer and shorter front clamping strips 70 are provided.

The front clamping strip 7t is mounted on the work tensioning assembly, and more particularly on the bridge plate 62 of the fold tightener, for vertical movement therewith and relative thereto. The mounting means shown comprises: a pair of oppositely disposed L-shaped bars 72 having inwardly opposed foot sections at their front ends (which are respectively adjacent opposite ends of the clamping strip 70) and rearwardly extending leg sections; and means connecting each end of the strip 70 to the foot of the adjacent bar 72, said means including a transverse slot forking the foot section and a bolt 73 extending through that slot and functioning to interconnect strip 79 to the foot section; means mounting each leg section on the underlying bridge plate 62 for forwardrearward adjustment, said mounting means including a pivot 74 pivotally connecting the rear end of the leg section to the rear end of a bridge block 75 and means mounting the bridge block 75 on the bridge plate 62 for forwardrearward adjustment, said means including a forwardlyrearwardly extending slot in bridge block 75 for adjustably receiving the bolt 76 which secures the block 75 rigidly to the bridge plate 62; and means including spring 77 resiliently pressing the leg section of the pivoted bar 72 downwardly against the bridge plate 62 in order to permit the front clamping strip '70 to engage the work before the downward clamping movement is completed and then yield as that movement is completed and thereby resiliently provide the requisite clamping pressure.

Product Guide The sewn product leaving the sewing zone is guided by product guide means comprising: a pair of oppositely disposed wadding guides; and a pair of oppositely disposed welted edge guides.

The wadding guides comprise a pair of guide tracks in the form of straps 78 mounted on the base along opposite sides of the product flow path and having a straight inner edges engaging and guiding the edges of the wedding strip 14. The strap tracks 78 are substantially as thick as the wadding strip 14 and they underlie outer portions of the ticking strip which extend laterally beyond the opposite longitudinal edges of the wadding strip. The

- tracks 78 are adjustably mounted on the top of base It) by bolt and slot means enabling them to be moved transversely toward and away from each other to accommodate different widths of wadding.

The welted edge guides include a pair of transversely opposed longitudinally extending blocks 80, one mounted along the outer side of each track 78. Each block 80 has an open-ended longitudinally-extending bore 81 to receive the corresponding welted edge and this bore opens inwardly to accommodate the connected material. The welted edge blocks 80 are adjustably mounted on the top of base 10 for relative transverse movement by suitable slot and bolt means.

tively driven forward, the resistance of the various openended tubular passageways through which they pass will tend to hold them back and thus interfere with the satisfactory flow of panel material through the machine. To avoid this, a positive drive is provided. It includes a pair of oppositely disposed upper feed wheels 84, one for each welted edge, is provided on the rear side of the upper feed roll 13. Each feed wheel 84 cooperates with the lower feed roll 17 to engage the corresponding and interposed welted edge and drive it positively forward.

The Wheels 84 are mounted on a common shaft 85 which is journaled at its opposite ends in the rear ends of a pair of oppositely disposed forwardly extending brackets 86, the front ends of which are centered on the axis of the upper feed roll 18 so that when the wheels are raised and lowered, they move along an arcuate path, which extends circularly about the axis of the upper feed rolls 18. In the embodiment shown, the front end of the bracket 86 is loosely journaled on the shaft of the upper feed roll 13.

The feed wheels 84 are yieldably forced downwardly against the welted edges of the work by interposing an adjsutable spring 87 between a rear lug integrally mounted on the rear end of the bracket $6 and the forwardly located lug 88 integrally mounted on the arms 26 which carry the upper feed rolls 18. With this arrangement, the upper feed roll '13 and feed wheel 84 form part of an upper feed assembly, which can be raised as a unit for web replacement purposes. The wheel shaft 85 is driven from the upper feed roller gear 43 through an interposed idler gear 9%) which is mounted on the wheel bracket 86 and which interconnects gear 4-3 to a gear 91 on one end of the wheel shaft 85.

Foot Pedal Means A foot pedal actuated means is provided to swing the arms 20 in the direction required to raise the upper feed assembly. It includes a pair of transversely spaced members 95 suitably mounted on the base 10 for movement, when actuated, rearwardly against the lower ends of arms 21?. The actuate these assembly raising members 95, a foot pedal 96 is pivotally mounted on the base It} and suitably connected to both members 95. The foot pedal may be held by the operator in its actuating position or it may be latched in such position. However, when released, it will automatically return to its non-actuating position as a result of the action of the biasing springs which work against the lower ends of the arms 20 in a direction resiliently opposing the operation of member 95.

Operation The machine is prepared for the threading operation as follows: (a) the table 13 is provided with suitably mounted work supply rolls of scrim if used, of wadding 14, of ticking 15 and of heading cord 51?; (b) adjustments are made in the transversely-extending length of the work feed roll 1'18, in the transverse spacing of the oppositely disposed folders, in the transverse spacing of the oppositely disposed tighteners, in the transversely-extending lengths of the rear and front clamps and sewing machine stroke, and in the transverse spacing of the welt feed wheels 84; and (d) the arms 20 are swung to raise the upper feed as sembly containing the feed roll 18 and feed wheels 84.

If used, the scrim is directed around the rods 23 on the stem of the tightening assembly. Thence the scrim and the wadding are threaded all the way through the machine. The beading cords 50 are directed through the guides 51 and thence through the oppositely disposed inner tubes 54 of the folding means. The ticking 15 is directed around the front rod 24 on the bar of the work tensioning means, thence around one or more pairs of rods 25, if desired, and finally, around the rear rod 24 after which it is directed forwardly to the folders where each of its marginal edges is manually manipulated into the tangentially open scroll-shaped space between the curls 54 and 57 of the corresponding bottom and top plates so as to form loose folds in said folders.

Now, both cords S and both folded margins of the ticking 15 are manually pulled through the folders. AS they emerge from the front ends thereof, the operator manually tightens loose folds of the ticking snugly about the beading cords 5t} and then inserts and trains them through the bores 65 in the marginal portions 64 of the tightener finger blocks 63. Once through the tighteners, the operator continues thereafter to pull the forward end of the cords and the folded ticking manually through the sewing zone, the guiding apparatus, and the feed zone. Now the raised feeding rolls 18 and wheels 34 in the feed zone are lowered. The machine is now ready for operation.

The machine operates as before with the sewing mechanism stitching transverse lines across the work during each non-feed interval and longitudinal lines along the inner sides of the welted edges during each feed interval and with the work tensioning assembly being positively tilted in the clamping direction during each cross-stitching operation and being tilted by its own weight in the opposite or non-clamping direction during each forward feed in.

terval.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A machine for welting the marginal edges of an elon gate mattress border panel as that panel flows through the machine along a path having a horizontally-wide verticallythin web portion flanked by marginal portions, comprising:

(A) means for simultaneously feeding a panel and a pair of heading cords forwardlythrough the machine with the beading cords laterally spaced to underlie opposite margins of said path as the cords approach a folding zone; V (B) a pair of oppositely disposed folders in said folding zone, one along each margin of said path, each folder having a pair of bottom and top plates,

(1) each plate having a flat Web section and a curved marginal section,

(a) the fiat web sections of the bottom and top plates forming walls respectively under-lying and overlying the adjacent web portion of said path,

(b) the curved marginal section of said bottom plate extending outwardly from the web section thereof and being curved downwardly, inwardly and upward-1y to form a longitudinally-extending open-ended cordreceiving tube through which the corresponding cord is adapted to pass, and

(c) the curved marginal section of said top plate extending outwardly from the Web section thereof and being curved downwardly, inwardly and upwardly around, and in out- Wardly spaced relationship to, said cordreceiving tube, to form about said tube a longitudinally-extending open-ended marginal space of scroll shape in cross section in which. the corresponding margin of a panel is adapted to extend scrollwise about said tube and through which it is adapted to pass; and

(C) panel sewing means arranged between the feeding means and said folders.

2. The machine of claim 1 wherein:

(A) said oppositely disposed folders are mounted for transverse adjusting movement toward and away from each other to accommodate changes in the width of the web portion of said path; and

(B) the top andbottom plates of the folder on one side slidably overlap those of the folder on the opposite side to accommodate said adjustment.

3. The machine of claim 1 including:

(A) a pair of oppositely disposed tighteners, one positioned along each margin of said path between the folding zone and the sewing means, each tightener having a top plate composed of a planar web section and a transversely curved longitudinally-extending marginal section,

(1) said planar web section providing a horizontally-arranged ceiling over the top side of the adjacent web portion of said path and (2) said curved marginalsection having a longitudinally-extending lengthwise-slotted open-ended bore,

(a) which communicates transversely inward with the adjacent margin of the web portion of said path through said lengthwise slot so that the wall of said bore extends CI'OSSr-SeC- tionailly outward from the top side of said slot substantially circular to the bottom side thereof,

(b) which is longitudinally aligned with said cord-receiving tube and adapted to receive a fold encircled cord therefrom, and

(c) which has a diameter approximating that of a snugly folded assembly of cord and ticking.

4. The machine of claim 3 wherein:

(A) each tightener planar web section is vertically slotted in the transverse direction to form. spaced fingers pointing transversely inward, the fingers of .each tightener being horizontally-aligned with and normally extending at least partly into the spaces between the fingers of the opposed tightener.

5. The machine of claim 4 including:

(A) means mounting the transversely-opposed tighteners for transverse adjusting movement toward and away from each other to accommodate changes in the width of the web portion of said path.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 192,766 Jonasson July 3, 1877 1,472,277 Moffatt Oct. 30, 1923 2,059,845 Bowersox Nov. 3, 1936 2,313,261 Podgorny Mar. 9, 1943 2,359,047 Mitchell Sept. 26, 1944 2,382,486 Kelly Aug. 14, 1945 2,466,096 Garrigus Apr. 5, 1949 2,505,822 Bechik et al. May 2, 1950 2,539,845 Kohout Jan. 30, 1951 2,667,132 Golden Jan. 26, 1954 2,771,045 Cash Nov. 20, 1956 2,834,308 Blumenkrantz May 13, 1958 2,855,877 Whitehead Oct. 14, 1958 

1. A MACHINE FOR WELTING THE MARGINAL EDGES OF AN ELONGATE MATTRESS BORDER PANEL AS THAT PANEL FLOWS THROUGH THE MACHINE ALONG A PATH HAVING A HORIZONTALLY-WIDE VERTICALLYTHIN WEB PORTION FLANKED BY MARGINAL PORTIONS, COMPRISING: (A) MEANS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY FEEDING A PANEL AND A PAIR OF BEADING CORDS FORWARDLY THROUGH THE MACHINE WITH THE BEADING CORDS LATERALLY SPACED TO UNDERLIE OPPOSITE MARGINS OF SAID PATH AS THE CORDS APPROACH A FOLDING ZONE; (B) A PAIR OF OPPOSITELY DISPOSED FOLDERS IN SAID FOLDING ZONE, ONE ALONG EACH MARGIN OF SAID PATH, EACH FOLDER HAVING A PAIR OF BOTTOM AND TOP PLATES, (1) EACH PLATE HAVING A FLAT WEB SECTION AND A CURVED MARGINAL SECTION, (A) THE FLAT WEB SECTIONS OF THE BOTTOM AND TOP PLATES FORMING WALLS RESPECTIVELY UNDERLYING AND OVERLYING THE ADJACENT WEB PORTION OF SAID PATH, (B) THE CURVED MARGINAL SECTION OF SAID BOTTOM PLATE EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM THE WEB SECTION THEREOF AND BEING CURVED DOWNWARDLY, INWARDLY AND UPWARDLY TO FORM A LONGITUDINALLY-EXTENDING OPEN-ENDED CORDRECEIVING TUBE THROUGH WHICH THE CORRESPONDING CARD IS ADAPTED TO PASS, AND (C) THE CURVED MARGINAL SECTION OF SAID TOP PLATE EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM THE WEB SECTION THEREOF AND BEING CURVED DOWNWARDLY, INWARDLY AND UPWARRDLY AROUND, AND IN OUTWARDLY SPACED RELATIONSHIP TO, SAID CORDRECEIVING TUBE, TO FORM ABOUT SAID TUBE A LONGITUDINALLY-EXTENDING OPEN-ENDED MARGINAL SAPCE OF SCROLL SHAPE IN CROSS SECTION IN WHICH THE CORRESPONDING MARGIN OF A PANEL IS ADAPTED TO EXTEND SCROLLWISE ABOUT SAID TUBE AND THROUGH WHICH IT IS ADAPTED TO PASS; AND (C) PANEL SEWING MEANS ARRANGED BETWEENTHE FEEDING MEANS AND SAID FOLDERS. 